Method of making tanks



Dec. 10, 1946. J, KERCHER METHOD OF MAKING TANKS Filed July 12 1 Z 6 INVENTOR. A HUI? J. KEiKHER. (2/ 49. 9241/ flTTO/F/YL-IX Patented Dec. 1 1

i This invention relates generally to the man tincture and construction of metal tanks and "hers, and is of value where the use to such tanks are su cten is apt to cause detrimental corrosion.

in past non corrodihletanlss end containe; have been made from relatively expensive metals and metal alloys which, as distinguished from ordinary steel, are sulz stantialiy non=corrodihle for the service desired. For example, copper, brass or bronze have leech used to a con siderable extent and more recently the sc=called stainless alloys, such as lisonel metal. All such metals or alloys are comparatively expensive, and, in addition, their use involves manufacturing difficuities.

It has been attempted to provide non-corrod-= ible liners for metal tanks Toy the in terior of the same but the has not met with notable success. The diificulty oi ens-incline the interior of a metal tank after the same has been fabricated is obvious, as it impossible to insure an even coating on the interior and inspec tzon is difficult, if not impossible.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a simple metal tank or container which will maize use of any suitable metal from which e. tank or container may be made and which may be coated with an inner lining of enamel or other elastic non-corrodliile materiel.

It; is another object of the invention to provide a simple metal tank which will make use of any suitable material from which a tank or container may be made and which may be lined or coated with a. metallic non-corrodible lining.

It has been attempted to provide a. liner of such non-corrodible metals but the same have not met with notable success because of the mam ufccturing difiiculties involved.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method of manufacture, whereby such tanliis or containers can be simply made in quantitles with a high degree of uniformity and with out the possibility of undue stresses bein applied to the lining or any defects being created in the lining during the manufacture of the tank.

It is a further object or the invention to provide a method of manufacture whereby the interior may be easily examined for purposes of inspection of the non-corrodihle surface.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forthin detail in conjunction with the accom:

panylng drawing.

A v race l5.

ine; a bonded metal lining. The

J. eiey, Salli.

l2, hie.

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' 2 Referring to the drawing:

l is cross sectional view, of the portions of a tank adapted to he joined according to the oi present invention.

2 is a cross sectional View of the portions of a tank which have been joined according to the method of the present invention.

is. 3 is an emerged cross sectional detail of 3 showing the welding togefner of the two halves of the con't 'ner and the method of con ducting away the welding heat.

the preferred embodiment of my invention, have shown the portion as being composed of two or shells l9 and ii. Sections iii and i i may be of any suitable metal and may he fanned in any conventional manner such as rlv welding, spinning, drawing or pressing. In end of each of halves ill and ii I have pro vided orifices i2 and M respectively which may be threaded for suitable connection to the piping system of which the ta i: is to he a unit. I have also provided an annular ring i i made of any suitable material, preferably, however, of the seine material of which the two halves iii and ii made, said annular ring however being of substantially greater gauge and thickness.

The inner surfaces of shells it! and H are thor= ouglily coated or lined with a. suitable non-cor inedible material to provide a. non-corrodible sur- A suitable coating material may be enamel or any one of several materials which will form an elastic non-corrodible surface and which he applied by brush or as a spray, including vitrous enamel. I also contemplate that a ductile nonworrodible metal lining may be used. For

example, when the two halves i0 and ii are rawn. a sheet of copper or other ductile noncorrodlble metal may be drawn with them, formannular ring it is also thoroughly coated with the same mate rial to n-rovide a similar surface it. and the two halves ill and H and the annular ring M are allowed to dry or cool depending on the non-corrodible material used. Where vitrous enamel is used the pats are treated in a suitable vitrifylng oven. The non-corrodible surfaces may be inspected thoroughly during and at the conclusion of the coating operation. It; is evident that when a non-corrodible metal lining is used rather than an enamel or elastic non-corrodible lining, inner ring Id may either be coated with or may be made entirely from the non-corrodible metal.

The two halves l0 and H and the annular ring 84 should be so constructed that when the coatmaterial has been applied the outside diame should be noted that 3 ter of annular ring it will be slightly greater than the inside diameter of shells in and Ii at their lips.

The lips of shells it and Ii are then heated suinciently so that they will expand in such a manner that their inside diameter is slightly greater than the outside diameter of annular ring it. The two shells in and ii are then gently urged over ring it until they meet approximately as shown in Fig. 2. Care should be taken during the heating operation that the characteristics of the particular non-corrodible mate rial are observed in order that said material will suffer no deleterious effect or lose its non-corrodible characteristic upon cooling.

The two halves l and ii are then allowed to cool and their lips to contract snugly about annular 'ring l8. As shown, all of the surfaces 'with which water or other liquid placed within the tank may come in contact, are surfaced with non-corrodible material.

I then mount the semi-finished tank upon a pipe which is of slightly smaller diameter than the inside diameter of orifices i2 and i3. Pipe 20 has an orifice 2! through which water under pressure may be sprayed. The tank is then slowly rotated on pipe 2i! and water is forced through orifice 2! in such a manner that it will impinge against the inner surface of annular ring M, as shown, preferably at its uppermost point. The two shells in and I i are then welded together as the tank rotates. The welding torch or other welding medium is preferably operated just in advance of, in the path of rotation, the water spray from orifice 2 l The purpose of the water spray is to cool the "annular ring I4 and thereby conduct away the welding heat.

When the weld has been completed, a cross section thereof will resemble Fig. 3 as shown. It will be noted that the two halves i0 and H have been welded together and that the weld has not destroyed any of the non-corrodible surface. If, perchance, some of the non=corrodible surface immediately adjacent the weld should be damaged, the material immediately adjacent thereto will fuse and unite with the surface of the annular ring It thereby presenting a nonoorrodible surface at all points within the tank.

The water entering through orifice 2! may possibly be sufiicient to fill the tank. However, it orifices i2 and it are slightly larger than pipe 28 and the surplus expand the same 4 water may vent through the orifices i2 and H.

In the design of particular tanks, other orifices 25 and 28 may be provided but their provision in no way alters the manufacture of tanks according to my invention.

It is to be understood that the particular shape or form of tank manufactured in no way affects the application of my invention and that the same may be used in any number of ways according to shop practice and mechanical expediency.

I claim:

1.111 a method of manufacturing enclosed tanks, lining two portions adapted to be Joined with an elastic non-corrodible material to form a complete tank, each portion consisting of an end wall and a cylindrical side wall, coating with a non-corrodible material an annular member adapted to fit within said portions at their joint, the inner diameter of said lined portions being less than the outer diameter of said coated member, heating the open ends of said portions to and fitting them over said annular member whereby when cooled they will form a tight bond therewith and present a seam adapted to be welded, cooling and contracting said open ends snugly about said annular member, mounting said assembly for rotation, rotating said assembly, welding the said portions at their seam, and spraying water upon said annular member immediately behind the point in the path of rotation at which the welding heat is applied to dissipate said welding heat to prevent said non-corrodible lining from being heated to its fusing point.

2. In a method of manufacturing enclosed containers, lining two portions adapted to be Joined with an elastic non-corrodible material, coating with a non-corrodible material an annular member adapted to fit within said portions at their joint, the inner diameter of said lined portions being less than the outer diameter of said coated member, heating and expandingthe open ends of said portions and fitting the same over saidannul'ar member whereby when cooled they bond therewith, cooling and v will form a tight contracting said open ends snugly about said annular member and finally welding said portions where they join over said annular member and 56 cooling said welded portions and dissipating the welding heat whereby said non-corrodible lining and coating will not be injuriously afiected.

ARTHUR J. KERCHER. 

